Pages

Monday, 1 December 2014

TWELVE DECEMBER DREAMS FOR YOU by Penny Dolan

Grunts, groans, and sits down with a sigh. Yes, I’m just back from the “Christmas Market” in
my town. How much boozy chocolate, mulled
wine variants and worryingly early mince pies does a nation need? As I
walked back, I thought about things that might be useful for you in the run up
to the festivities.

So, here’s wishing you:

1. A cunning clock that shifts
time about so you can do the writing you need to do.

2. A Light to help you see
a clear path through the wintry fogs, mists and gloom ofPlots Gone Bad.

3. A pair of swift Writing
Skis, and the skill to use them, so you can speed onwards whenever there’s a
clear patch ahead.

4. Exceptionally Magic Ears so you can still
hear the words of your Work In Progress way above all the nagging seasonal
music and unwanted requests.

5. An Optional Food Fairy
or three. Plus a happy flock of Clearaway Elves. For more than one day. 'Nuff
said.

6. A Santa Claus who will stop faffing about on cakes, cards and
comfy chairs in grottos andactually bring all those
presents on Christmas Eve. Like he’s
supposed to, you know!

7. A Cheery Facemask so
you can smile at Party Questions like. “When
are you going to write a book for adults?” or “We’ve just bought Russell Brand’s Pied Piper. Do you ever have ideas
like that?”

8. A Book (or more) so
admirable that it will thrill you, please you, bring you knowledge and
understanding - without making you weep in desperation at your own feeble
talent. Plus bookshelves to fill to your hearts’ content.

9. A Very Large Spoonful
of Good Health for you and for yours. (This one is so important that I’m not even
joking.)

10. A Deck of True
Patience Cards so you don’t waste too much of your your writing time waiting for your
editor/agent/publisher/whatever to call.

11. And a Collection of Good Writing
Friends, who will let you grumble and witter on like this . . . and know it’s only
half the story. (Thanks! You know who you are!)

12 comments:

What lovely thoughts. Thank you. This is such a difficult time to keep our eyes and and ears and energy on the writing as well as on the world around us, that if we manage even a few of these December dreams we'll be doing fine!

I have the candle... and have just bought my brother a tide clock, which is quite clever, although actually has slightly fewer hours in the day than a normal clock. However, it does tell you when it's safe to write on the beach, and when you can expect delays on the trains in stormy weather.

Glad you all liked the ideas. It's usually a lovely time of year but it does nibble at your time so.

Love the idea of a tide clock, Katherine. Sounds fantastical, but it obviously isn't. I'm off to investigate, even if one would be of limited use in the middle of Yorkshire.

Hope that man's arrived, Ann. A washing machine is essential! (A history oddment: Ruth Goodman - the tv re-enactor - thinks that the washing machine did more to improve women's lives than any other modern invention.)